When going the road to sweet Athy
Language: English
When going the road to sweet Athy, Hurroo! Hurroo! When going the road to sweet Athy, A stick in my hand and a drop in my eye, A doleful damsel I heard cry Johnny I hardly knew ye. With your drums and guns and guns and drums, Hurroo! Hurroo! With your drums and guns and guns and drums, The enemy nearly slew ye. Oh darling dear, you look so queer Faith Johnny I hardly knew ye! Where are your eyes that looked so mild, Hurroo! Hurroo! Where are the eyes that looked so mild Hurroo! Hurroo! When my heart you so beguiled Why did you skedaddle from me and the child? Why Johnny, I hardly knew ye! Where are the legs with which you run Hurroo! Hurroo! Where are the legs with which you run When you went for to carry a gun Indeed your dancing days are done Faith Johnny I hardly knew ye! I’m happy for to see you home Hurroo! Hurroo! All from the island of Ceylon So low in flesh, so high in bone Faith Johnny I hardly knew ye With your drums and guns and guns and drums Hurroo! Hurroo! The enemy nearly slew ye, Oh why did you skedaddle from me and the child Faith Johnny I hardly knew ye.
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View text with all available footnotesAuthorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Herbert Hughes (1882 - 1937), "Johnny, I hardly knew ye!" [ voice and piano ], confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alan Louis Smith , "Oh, Johnny!" [ soprano, viola, and piano ], from Four Folksongs for Soprano, Viola and Piano, no. 4, Alfred [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-01-30
Line count: 35
Word count: 216